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By MIRIAM JORDAN
Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday passed one of the toughest pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation in the country, which would make it a violation of state law to be in the U.S. without proper documentation.

It would also grant police the power to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being illegal.

The bill could still face a veto from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. A spokesman for Ms. Brewer said she has not publicly commented on the bill. Ms. Brewer, a Republican, has argued for stringent immigration laws.

Under the measure, passed Tuesday by Arizona's lower house, after being passed earlier by the state Senate, foreign nationals are required to carry proof of legal residency.

Immigrants' rights groups roundly criticized the bill. "The objective is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they leave the state," said Chris Newman, general counsel for the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network. "The bill constitutes a complete disregard for the rights of nonwhites in Arizona. It effectively mandates racial profiling."

The bill's author, State Sen. Russell Pearce, was in a committee session Tuesday and couldn't be reached, his offices said. Mr. Pearce, a Republican, represents the city of Mesa, in Maricopa County, whose sheriff, Joe Arpaio, has gained a national reputation for his tough stance on immigration enforcement. A spokesman for Mr. Arpaio didn't return a request for comment.

The bill is different from an earlier version, giving protections for church and community organizations from criminal prosecution for transporting or harboring illegal immigrants.

In a statement, Tuesday Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) called the measure "a comprehensive immigration enforcement bill that addresses the concerns of our communities, constituents and colleagues."

After July is over, you won't have to have a CCW to carry concealed. Arizona is a Castle Doctorine state, and this doctorine extends not only to your home, but to your vehicle, or "any place a person has a right to be" as well. I think you are going to like it here.

You know, I never once considered voting for Brewer in the gubernatorial primary, but if she signs this, and after signig the CCW law, I think I just might. Of course, this all depends on how the police enforce this law. If I get stopped going into a grocery store and have to prove I'm a citizen, I'm going to be very pissed. If I get pulled over for speeding, meaning I'm already breaking the law, and I then have to prove I'm a citizen, I'll be more understanding of that.

Originally Posted by Some LA Dumbass

"The objective is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they leave the state," said Chris Newman, general counsel for the Los Angeles-based National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Why don't these LA liberals leave their liberal politics in LA and start focusing on the major problems that occur there instead of worrying about how we conduct our business in Arizona. Yes, the goal is to make life miserable for illegal immigrants because illegal immigrants aren't supposed to be here in the first place.

Last edited by malloc; 04-14-2010 at 05:35 PM.

"In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it together by the ears. A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived."
—Thomas Paine, Common Sense